Mango quartz group (118271)

Mango quartz is a variety of quartz that is characterized by long, slender crystals that terminate in a bright yellow tip that looks just like the flesh of a mango. This material is fairly new to the mineralogical world and testing of the yellow, fibrous inclusions is thus far inconclusive, though the top contenders are humboldtine and halloysite. Mango quartz crystals are collected from a roadside outcrop near the town of Cabiche, Colombia.

This mineral has quite the tumultuous history steeped in mystery, rumors of secret mines and lost treasure.
Mango quartz was originally discovered in Colombia in the 1980's by Victor Caranza who held-back most of the mined material for his personal collection. Hearsay suggests that after he had extracted what he wanted, he filled in the mine shaft so he could corner the market. When the USA started to crack-down on South American drug lords, Caranza was swept up in the raids. Since Caranza's incarceration and eventual death in 2013, mango quartz had disappeared from the market. To this day, Caranza's private collection is lost to the world.

It wasn't until 2017 when local farmers stumbled upon the road that lead to the mango quartz mine, where they uncovered a new cavity filled with this mineral. Since then mango quartz has taken the mineral world by storm.

This rare group measures 3.25" x 2.75"